Conceived as a "22-hour movie for television," the incendiary
first season of Crime Story (1986-87, on NBC) marked a controversial
milestone in TV history, and its lasting influence can be seen in such
better-known series and films as The Sopranos, Homicide: Life on the
Street, Donnie Brasco, Casino and elsewhere. Following the phenomenal success of MIAMI VICE, Executive
Producer Michael Mann returned to television with a new kind of gritty crime
drama, one that talked tougher and hit harder than anything the small screen had
ever seen before. For two explosive seasons, CRIME STORY told the hard-boiled
saga of hair-trigger cop Lieutenant Mike Torello (Dennis Farina) and his
obsessive pursuit of ruthless gangster Ray Luca (Anthony Denison) from the mean
streets of early '60s Chicago to the neon nights of mob-run Las Vegas. Today, CRIME STORY is considered a true cult classic as well as one of the most
startling series in television history.
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